My rating: 9 of 10 stars

For the purpose of this movie, it has successfully scared me of the cineplex sofa. Yes this film is a thriller as well as a ghost movie. So make sure you watch it in a theatre with good sound, or bring your girlfriend for a free hug. The story was written by Stephen King in his novel, and played by John Cussack and Samuel L. Jackson. 1408 is a hotel room number. It was said that no one was able to stay for more than an hour. So in exactly one hour you will be shock and scared till your last piece of shit. I’ll recommend you to watch it. Actually it has been released in USA on June 2007 but somehow screened in Indonesia started on January 2008.

Michael Enslin’s a talented writer who left behind the world of textured fiction to pen a series of pulp books on haunted locations. Currently at work on his latest project, Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms, Enslin (John Cusack) comes across a postcard warning him to stay away from the Dolphin Hotel’s room 1408. Curiosity piqued, he begins researching the Dolphin and quickly discovers an unusual number of grisly deaths have occurred in the hotel’s suite 1408.

No one is allowed to stay in 1408 by order of the hotel’s manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L Jackson). But Enslin, after much pushing and prodding, gets his way and is handed the room’s old-fashioned key (magnetized cards malfunction in 1408’s door…spooky…). After settling into the suite, Enslin – a non-believer – at first tries to make light of the room’s quirky little attributes. But just as he settles in, the room stops playing nice and treats Mr. Enslin to a display of its horrific best.

My Ratings: 8 of 10

Synopsis (a bit spoiler): The nineteenth century was an era of conflict: the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire in Europe; the Civil War in America; the Meiji Restoration in Japan; the Opium War in China followed by the Taiping Rebellion in Nanjing… all critical events that shaped the world today. At times of chaos, heroes are born yet innocence is forever lost…

It’s the mid-19th century, one of the darkest periods of Chinese history. The country is suffering under the rule of the corrupt Manchus who invaded China from the North and established the country’s last imperial dynasty, the Qing. Natural disasters are wreaking havoc in the countryside, and in the midst of this chaos, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, one of the strongest rebel groups ever to rise up in China, is overrunning the country and staging battles with the Qing army threatening the Dragon throne.

When Ma first met the rough-and-ready bandit, Cao Erhu (starring Andy Lau) and his trusted Lieutenant Zhang Wenxiang (starring Takeshi Kaneshiro), he had not an inkling that they will forever change his life. Cao, the dark and charismatic leader of a band of bandits, bonded with the dark Ma when this stranger saved his life. At Zhang’s urging, the three swear blood brotherhood. Ma had a dream – he wants to rid China of both the rebels and the corrupt Qing officials. Ma convinces Cao and Zhang on this noble quest and the trio soon engages in many dangerous battles and win. With the help of Cao and his men, Ma manages to squelch the rebels and rises through the ranks. Success has the power to corrupt – Ma soon became obsessed with power.

Cao and Zhang return to their native village, and Cao reunites for an evening with his beautiful wife, Lian (starring Xu Jinglei). But when she and Ma look at each other for the first time, the chemistry is overwhelming; and the seed of betrayal is sown. Ma must remove the one obstacle standing between him and the loyalty of the bandit-soldiers and the beautiful Lian.

My Review:
Love this movie, with realistic battles and strong plot definitely pushes its actors to perform their best. Watching Jet Li’s cold character, Andy Lau’s character development, and cool Takeshi’s action you just can expect them perform the best. Not a beautiful scene of china as you might saw in Hero or Crouching Tiger, most of this movie color is grey and pale to describe the worst era of Qing Dinasty. Finally when you out of cinema complex with satisfaction.